Radioactive suppository.



F. H. BLACKMARR.

RADIOACTIVE SUPPOSITORY. APPLlCATION FILED 00125, 1913.

'1 1 88,722 Patented June 27, 1916.

' THE COLUMBIA Pumouzlmn c0., WASHINGTON, D. c

n E s'rn'rns AIENT orrion RADIOACTIVE SUPPOSITORY.

Application filed October 25, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK I-I. BLACK- MAnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Radioactive Suppositories, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for applying a curative agent internally to the human body, and has reference more particularly to devices generally known as suppositories or applicators employed in the treatment of rectal and similar diseases.

The object of the invention is to provide an appliance whereby the well known curative effects of radio-active substances may be conveniently and safely applied to internal parts of the human body.

To this end my invention comprises essentially a metal cartridge or holder ofsuitable size and shape made in an integral and seamless form and having a perfectly smooth and rounded exterior surface throughout, and adapted to contain a medicament of a radio-active character hermetically sealed therein. The metal cartridge or container is preferably made of aluminum on account of its lightness, and the walls thereof are of suiiicient thinness to readily permit the passage therethrough of the curative rays emanating from the radioactive substance within the cartridge or shell.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is an axial section through the cartridge or casing in the form the latter assumes when ready to be loaded with the medicament. Fig. 2 is an elevation'of the complete article. Fig. 3 is an axial section of the complete article on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, 5 designates the main body portion of the cartridge or shell of the suppository, and 6 designates a flaring open end or mouth formed on one end of the body portion 5, the opposite end 7 of the body portion being closed as shown. The open cartridge or shell shown in Fig. 1 is suitably packed with the medicament, con- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 27, 1191.6.

Serial No. 797,157.

sisting of a radioactive salt indicated at 8 in Fig. 3.

The cartridge or shell is conveniently and preferably spun from a single disk of metal being first spun to the open ended form shown in Fig. l, and, after being loaded,

the marginal portions of the open end 6 are spun inwardly to form a completely closed and sealed end 9. The cartridge or shell is thus formed of a single integral piece of metal, entirely without joints or seams of any kind, and hermetically sealing the contents.

Preferably, and as herein shown, I make the walls of the cartridge somewhat thinner at and in the vicinity of its inner or pointed end than at its outer end, these walls being preferably gradually tapered in thickness from the extreme inner to the extreme outer end. The metal walls of the container have the effect of occluding the alpha and beta rays, but permit the passage therethrough of the gamma rays, which have much greater penetrative power and are the beneficial and curative rays of the substance. By making the walls of the inner or fore portion of the container thinner than those of the outer or rear portion, the curative rays are emanated chiefly from that portion of the suppository that is in contact with the diseased parts, and there is little or no waste of radium energy through the rear portion of the device.

I am aware that a radio-active suppository comprising a metal container or shell and a radio-active substance contained therein is broadly known; but, so far as I am aware, the article of my present invention is novel in respect to the integral and seamless or jointless character of the metal container and its smooth and rounded exterior surface, as well as in respect to the variable thickness of the walls of the container, as shown and described.

I claim- 1. As a new article of manufacture, a container for a radio-active suppository consisting of a seamless and jointless i11- tegral metal cartridge having a smooth and rounded exterior surface throughout, and the walls of which are of gradually decreasing thickness from the outer to the inner throughout, and the Walls of which are of end thereof. gradually decreasing thickness from the 2. As a new article of manufacture, a conouter to the inner end thereof.

tainer for a radio-active suppository, con- FRANK H. BLACKMARR. 5 sisting of a seamless and jointless integral Witnesses: 7'

cartridge made of-spun aluminum and hav- A. l/VEHMOLL,

ing a smooth and rounded exterior surface G. A. CASAVANT.

Copies: of this patent may be obtained for five cent: each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O. 

